Chin support



Sept. 27, 1932. E. LEHMAN 1,879,852

CHIN SUPPORT Filed Aug. 25, 1931 Erncuzwefl Lehman,

UNITED T STATES PATE EMANUEL LEI-IMAN, 0F RICHMOND, VIRGINIA" V CHINSUPPORT Application filed August 25, 1931. Serial No. 559,315.

a: This invention relates to improvements in appliances used byembalmers for supporting the chin ofa corpse, while the latter is beingembalmed; 7

One object of the. invention is-to provide an appliance of thischaracter that willbe simple and inexpensive, and by which the mouth ofthe corpse will be held closed at all times during the embalmingoperation, regardless of whether or not the embalmer changes theposition of the body by turning it on its side or the like.

A further object is to construct the appliance so that it maybe readilydisassembled when not in use, whereby it may be carried in acomparatively small kit bag.

A further object is to design the appliance so that the embalmer may'usein connection therewith a device for holding the eyelids of a corpse,closed. In other words, the eyelid device may or may not be used, itsuse being optional with the embalmer, and dependent upon the necessitiesof the case being treated;

A still further object is the provision of means for preventingaccidental displacement of the movable parts of the appliance.

' With. these and other objects in View, the invention consists incertain details of construction and combinations and arrangements ofparts, all as will hereinafter be more fully described and the novelfeatures therof particularly pointed outin the appended. claims.

In the accompanying Figure l is a pliance, moved; 7

Fig. 2 is a sideelevation; v V Fig. 3 is an enlarged, detailed sectionalview of the clutch mechanism for releasably retaining the head bandcarriers in any desired position on the frame;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view, longitudinally of one of the side members ofthe frame, illustrating the connection between the side member sections;7

drawing, perspective view of the apbut with the eyelid depressors re-.other means, but the cross member frame extend, and each Fig. 5 is asimilar view member sections detached I Flg. 6 IS a transverse sectionon the llne 66 of Fig. 4:; and

Fig. 7 is a detailed viewof one of theeyelid depressors.

In the present device, there is a frame that showing the side NTFOFFICEf consists essentially offside members and a lower cross member,carrying a chin rest 10 and head bands 11 that are slidablelongitudinally of the sides of the frame. The chin' rest 10 is mountedon the lower cross bar 12, the rest being preferably provided with aplurality of orifices 13 for the attachment of some suitable paddingmaterial.

lower and upper sections 14, 15, and are slidably engaged by carriers 16on which the head bands 11 are pivotally secured. Displacement of thehead band carriers 16 from the upper ends of the side 'membersis prevented by an'upper cross memberlZ. It will be appreciated that thisaccidental displacement of the carriers 16 could be prevented by 17 ispreferred, as it lends rigidity tot-he frame.

Eachcarrier 16 is preferably of U-shape, the arms of the carriers beingprovided'with apertures through which the sides of the frame extend. Toretain the carriers in anyposition to which they may be adjusted on theframe sides, each carrier is provided with a plate 18' through whichthesides of the plate is loosely mounted at one end, in the carrier asat 19. .-;At the other end of each plate, a spring 20 is interposedbetween the plate and an armofthe carrier sothat the plate is normallyurged away from the carrier arm, and assumes a position where itwillbind or biteon the. frame sides. However, theuser of the appressing thesprings 20, under'whi'ch circum- V The members are each preferablycomposed of 20 on the frame sides. Preferably, the side secstances thecarriers are freely adjustable lengthwise of the frame. In order tofurther simplify the adjustment of the carriers 16 and the head bands,the carriers are connected by a cross bar 21, which insures the movementof the two carriers in unison with each other. In other words, bothcarriers are thus adjustable simultaneously and to identically the sameextent, in either direction, so that the embalmer does not have toexercise any considerable care in order to insure the application ofuniform pressure at both sides of the chin. a

In accordance with the present invention, the side members, as beforementioned, are made sectional. lhis not only permitsthe upper and lowerportions of the frame to be disassembled, so that they can be placed ina kit of comparatively small size, but it also permits the attachment ofeyelid depressor-s tions 14-, 15, of each side of the frame, are

attached to one another by nuts 22, rotatably secured to the sections 11, the nuts being adapted to be screwed on to the threaded ends 23 ofthe upper side sections 15. The nuts 22 are, of course, of the samecross-section as the side sections proper, whereby they will notinterfere with the 'movement of the carriers 16 on the frame. The eyeliddepressors, as shown in Fig. '7, consist of finger-like d'epressorelements 24., attached to clamps 25, the clamps being formed withopenings 26 for insertion of the sides of the frame, and with the usualclamping screws 27 for clamping the depressors in any desired positionlongitudinally of the frame sides. be apparent, when the device is notin use, it is disassembled simply by detaching the sections 14 of thesides from the sections 15, the carriers16 remaining on the sections 15,as will be hereinafter described. lVhen the embahner is ready to use theappliance, he will at tach the upper and lower portions of the frame,but if he desires to use the eyelid depressors, he will place them onthe sides of the'frame, before attaching the upper and lower portionstogether.

In order to prevent accidental displacement of the carriers 16 from theside member sections 15, when the frame is disassembled,

not interfere with the riers 16.

the lower ends of the sections 15 are provided with spring elements 28that project lat- 'erally from said-section. WV hen the two sectionsofthe frame are disassembled, these spring'members 28 w1ll preventdisplacement of the carriers 16, but when the frame is assembled, the,nuts 22 will depress the spring members 28 below the surface of the sidesec tions 15, as shown in Fig. 4, so that they will movement of the car-What I dam is: 1. In a chin support for embalmers use,

" a frame having a cross member and side As will side members beingformed of detachable sec tions, and means at the ends of one section ofeach side member to prevent accidental displacement of the head bands,the retaining means at one end of each side member section consisting ofa finger yieldingly projecting beyond the side surface of said section.

2. In a chin support for embalmers use, a cross member, side membersections attached thereto, a chin rest on said cross member, a secondcross member with side member sections 1 connected thereto, means fordetachably securing the side member sections of the two crossmembers-together, and head bands slidable on said side members.

3. Ina chin support for embalmers use, a frame comprising side memberseach formed of a pair of sections, across member at each end of the sidemembers, achin rest on one of said cross members, a carrier slidably andfrictionally engaged on each side member,

head bands connected to said carriers, a cross side sections of theupper cross member hav- 1 ing threaded ends, spring fingers projectinglaterally from said threaded ends, nuts rotatably secured in the sidesections of the lower cross member, said-nuts being adapted tobe'screwed on the ends of the side sections of the upper cross membersand said fingers being depressed below the surface of theside sectionsby said nuts, and head bands slidably and frictionallyengaging said sidesections.

5. In a chin support for embalmers use, a frame having a cross member,achin rest on said cross member, side members extend ing from said crossmember, each side member consisting of one section fixed to said crossmember and a second section detachably secured to the fixed-section,head bands slidable on the side members and means atthe ends of thedetachable side member sections for retaining the head bands thereonwhensaid sections are detached.

EMANUEL LEHMAN.

